Comments - Misc.

12. Please add any other comments.
we should have the best planners available to face he enormous problem facing wasatch county. It would be a good investment, Perhaps the coun ty and other muncipalities should have a unified planning gommision so developers can not use annexation and other threats to force the county to concede to their wishes.
Respoinsible groth need to continue. Key word here is "responsible". We need to curtail the "high density" development that all the developers want so they can maximize their instant profit and leave residents holding the bag. How come we don't push for more 1+ acre developments and even some 5+ acre ones. The county seems to cave in eventually to every developer that wants high density. There is plenty of financial incentive for 1-5 acre developments.Lets not turn into Snyderville!
I think there should be tax relief for those who moved here to retire and have no children.I moved here because I thought I could live on my social security and limited retirement funds and the taxed were affordable but they keep escalating.Tax children
When a new structure is planned an architectural drawing is usually created so those financing the project have a reasonably good idea of how it will look. It would be helpful if the various parties would likewise lay out verbally and graphically what the county should look like if their ideas were supported by the majority. What we seem to be getting are extreme views with disjointed pieces emphasized and no integrated, holistic picture of our county as it should be when the needs of all are considered.
Thank you for the opportunity to give input
Howard Jarvis sponosored the bill in question #11 in California in the 1970s and it was a boon to the state, not a bane. Mill levys need to drop when excess revenue comes in.
I have great concern, that our elected leaders are taking us down the wrong paths when it comes to growth. their problem solving abilities are based on emotion and the desire to please developers, more than looking at facts and long term solutions. citizens seem to be the last on their list of concerns.
Growth happens! How we manage it determines what our County will be. We moved here 35 years ago to get away from the city, now we are on the verge of becomming the city we moved to ger away from. Be wise!
I am in favor of growth but we need to be cautious that we don't lose the home town feeling. Need to make sure that we are controlling growth and growth is not controlling us.
Wasn't this decided in the bib box survey - A survey may be a good tool, if elected leaders listens.
Please bring in a Big Box so that school bonds can be paid by them. We are growing so quickly that we are not able to keep up with the demand for bringing money into our county. Let's not be pigheaded about what stores comes in. Look at our demographics, do we really need another gas station, tire place or bank? If we can get it into their contracts to be responsible for putting money into a school bond to build and or improve our schools would be best. If open space was a much as a park within the development would be great. We need to keep the kids off the streets and give them places to play and hang out instead of on the street. We need to get out of this small town mentality and start acting like Park City and letting our growth equal the amount of business we could be bringing in, instead of handing it off to other counties.
Is that constitutional to have old residents pay less than new ones??? We need to come to grips with our taxpayers traveling to other counties to shop at Costco, Target, etc. That is sales tax that would ofset property taxes! We can't be a bedroom community for Park City forever...We have to have a diverse economy that will sustain ourselves. Wake Up.
I am not happy about any of the decisions made in regard to developments by our County government. I thought the asphalt plant had been shut down and the next thing I knew there was smoke billowing across the valley. Way to go guys!! That was a good move. NOT
We could learn from our neighbor, Summit County. Everything we are going through they have already experienced. Our leaders need to seek advice and not ignore the help Summit County could provide. The two counties are becoming "The Wasatch Back" with similar issues throughout. With the development around the Jordanelle the Heber Valley, Park City and the Snyderville Basin are beginning to become one seamless community.
Wasatch county should take a lesson from Park City on Open Space preservation.
We moved here one year ago because of the country feel of the valley. Let's not turn it into another Park City, where the people are too snooty to even talk to you.
Is there ever going to be a tax exempt on seniors that are on a very limited income?
over the years, we have seen more govenment with fatter budgets, but it seems to be doing less and less. Our leaders seem to be making sweetheart deals with developers to get more money. all in all, we seem to be in trouble, but no one seems to be coming to our aid. There is a local program on our radio station, they raise the issues and talk with our leaders, but the problems remain the same. Everything our leaders seem to be doing, is always somehow tied to money. we are building things, but few people use what is built. Our leaders seem to spend money, even when it is in short supply and they are willing to raise our taxes to support their habits. I would think, in a few years, we will connect to park city and look like orem or someother place. The view from our mountains will be ugly, since all we will see is the roof tops of 100's of homes, that have brought nothing to our community except high taxes, more crime, traffic problems, and impacts on schools and other services we have.
Include conservation easements, open space, and orderly development in Land Use Planning.
Please, don't let our county turn into wall-to-wall homes as I have seen in other areas. We want to keep the rural, country feel. That's why we are here.
I don't want to be one of those who say: "Now that I'm here, everyone else 'stay out'." However, we have a chance to encourage development in such a way to preserve what makes this valley great; which is NOT "wall to wall" housing.
Question 4 and 5 are confusing. RA-1 seems to require specific land be set aside for agricultural usage. If land must be set aside for agricultural, this value must be subtracted from the total amount before dividing the amount of housing available.
There are too many small developments of relatively tasteless, suburban homes in the county. It creates a checkerboard effect with clusters of homes interspersed with agricultural land that will later be developed absent of a plan to consider any continuity of style or lot size.
All should share the burden of taxes fairly and old timers should never be favored or given preferential treatment unless they are on an income that would prohibit them from being able to pay their inflated taxes. In such cases a petition should be allowed and a review committee could adjust the taxes accordingly.
After talking with people that have moved into the valley, the predominant attitude that has been conveyed to me is that the "newcomers" want to stop the growth. It's almost as if they are saying, "I have mine, so let's close the doors so noone else can come in." An example of this is the big stores that have attempted to establish business in the valley. Almost all long term residents that I have talked to, want these stores. The "newcomers" express their concern about losing the small town "charm." I feel the small town "charm" was lost 30 years ago. Let's live in the now, not in the past. I feel all new structures should be taxed adequately to pay for all of the costs and the existing residents should not have to help cover the costs of sewer, water, road and other costs associated with the new developement. Make all new growth pay for itself! Then and only then will it be fair for the current residents who have lived here all their lives.
We are the Orange County of UT. It would be wise to look at the history of that area to understand where we are and where we are headed. Limits do not limit it only allows those with deep pockets to dwell here. Last year land was valued at 40k to 80k per acre. This year 80k to 140k. It seems unreal to those who have lived here so long and average to those who have come from other places. The county needs to plan for roads, sewter and waste disposal. Schools and churches will come as they are the bi product of housing sprawl. It is far too late it this county to hold back the land owners and say you are limited. There have been too many holes shot in plans and re configured plans to ever hold water or weight in a court of law. The idea is the views are beautiful here. The atmosphere is recreational for horse lovers, skiers both land and water, four wheeler owners and walkers bikers and hikers. We are the bedroom community to Utah County and to Salt Lake County. As summit gathers more soft industry we will bedroom them as well. We should work on soft industry and on organized comminities as that is all we are! Gone are the days of tractors humming at 5:00 a.m. and pa coming in for the noon meal. The pa's that will live here will be on the golf course at 5:30 and be home way after the sun sets in order to pay taxes in this county. We will see flight of long time residents who on limited incomes can not afford to live here. And those who have made the rules will in a decade be in the same situation that they too will be un able to stay. We have sold ourselves out for dollars and are now in a clamour to get a foundation under the house of cards!
The most successful counties in the state of Utah do not allow growth in the unincorporated ares of the county. If Wasatch County wants to be a city then incorporated!!
As a senior citizen the tax rates in this county will limit my time residing here. We will be buried here as we own those lots but we might have to be driven laying on our backs as we just don't make the money it takes to live here. In the planning of things I would suggest assisted living homes or parks where seniors can live in the area they were born in a small place that has limited fees like they have set up for low income families. Our home will be sold to a minority family on a special grant and low interest rate while we move to a condo in a city and for the first time lock our doors. A plan needs to include those who are in kindergarten now will still be residents of this County when they are seniors or we have sold our posterity out!
By placing a hold on taxes and forcing open space the freedom of the landowner is removed. Older people are under the burden of holding on to a property too large for them to take care of as tehy are under the lower tax law. It creates division in a community. The old are safe the new are burdened. The law should be the same for everyone. That is why we are in this pickle is that the laws have not benn consistent in this area since the seventies. We need to build a place where generations can still reside without having to work three jobs to do so.
Let the law be to govern not control. The land owner should be able to do what he wants with his land since he bought it and pays the taxes. Plan and stick to the plan. If it says no horses in Daniel and there are horse there now you have shot yourself in the foot! Plan for a five years, a decade, and out to 2050. Review the plan with the public yearly and make sure the paln reflects the needs of those who live here. For example: If no one owns horses in Heber Valley in 2030; we need to be thinking now what other uses the building built last year can be used for to benefit the community in the future. Plan with a purpose and plan for growth! Mostly what I have seen is some people having to build overkill to meet code and others not appearing to have any code. We need to get consistent. If it works in Midway it can work anywhere. Why re-invent the wheel!
I came to this area just like those who are coming here now. It is pretty and it is peaceful. It will always be pretty. If the roads and paths are put in place now it will still be peaceful. No one can control growth it just has to be managed. This place is in a boom mode. It will grow until it can't and then people will be doing surveys on growth for Tabby!
Houses are being built to close,to many on a lot,and are not'affordable'.
We need a county planning department that can and will direct and control growth and development in a professional and well educated manner, not development by the old boy network where dollars changing hands seals a deal
Dont just think about the money, think about the quality of our lives. Once we bring it all here it will never go away! Been there and have seen it ruin the small town I came from.
we went to the 7 person counsel, but they are not doing any better than the old 3 person counsel. They are not listening to what the people want.
Please save our valley from ending up like all the other "popular" places to live. Help us to save the farm. I would love to have more farm land, but how can we compete with these developers prices. We need to find a benefactor who will buy some of the farms and preserve them.
I think the people moving to this beautiful valley want to stop anyone else from moving here. It isn't going to happen. We need businesses to come in and keep the shopping in our county and add tax income. I am tired of driving (with the high gas prices) to Park City, Provo and Salt Lake City for everything we need. Logan is an example of a small town feel, but there are stores, shopping malls, places to eat and a main street with small businesses. Why can't Heber City have that too? I want my children to be able to afford to buy a home and live here. If only 1 acre lots and larger are allowed, who can afford them?
Prices of land are driven by profits the developer expects to make. The developer need to know there will be impact fees to pay - so let's get them in place NOW, not later.
Building is way out of control in our small valley,with the amount of water we have available Maybe I am old fashioned,lived here my entire life & it is,of course not the same,but growth could be controlled & planned better.
I know it is hard to keep every one happy it is harder to keep us happy when you keep changing the rules it should be the same for john dow as it is for the the old timer's in the valley. be honest, upfront, and having integrity, is the best policy don't twek thing or have heart burn your not puting your best foot forward when you say those things and we all know it!
But to make the law in question in #11 "constitutional," wouldn't there have to be some kind of allowance for newer owners once they had resided in the valley long enough? One final issue that should fit in this survey somewhere: we need a bypass route around Heber City. I think we have enough growth on its own to sustain area businesses (assuming we stand strong against Big Box stores)--the time to acquire land for a Highway 40 bypass route is now. That way, we can work to preserve the character of the valley--in conjunction with the municipalities--and still take advantage of it as a crossroads. We are enough of a destination spot now to do this--and that will only increase in the years ahead.
Please save the beauty of Heber. The fields and animals are why I moved here and bring such joy whenever I drive into Heber from SLC or Provo.
put in the bypass,slow traffic on Main St,make signage appropriate to downtown as opposed to having large "highway" type signage,have ordinances addressing "light pollution" in the valley, I want to be able to see the stars at night.
Please look at California taxes--Prop 13-This is the way to set the taxes.
We need low income housing and tax breaks for small business and large business that would bring in more revenue and honest working families
Subdivisions should have a higher density with clustering and have at leat 50% open space
There seems to be thoughtless control in subdivision growth and understandable, but shortsighted "cashing" in on land for money. The Heber Valley cannot sustain current growth without destroying its character and quality of life.
I think the zoning in the county could use improvement. Businesses need to be clustered into walkable areas. The oil change station at the Holiday Inn Express is like a sore thumb on the property. If this business had to go in that spot there should have been an architectural requirement to make it fit in. The dentist's office on the corner of the library lot also fights the architecture of the new library and blocks the view of that wonderful building. What makes a lot of resort type areas different is that they don't allow this type of haphazard development. I would also like to see the remaining historical buildings preserved. It would also be wonderful to have some trails, especially ones that allow horses in areas where horses are already on the properties such as the trails weaving through the homes in the north end of Park City. Thanks for allowing input into the development of our county.